How Can Data Centers Optimize Their Performance? Find Out More At Bisnow’s 2-Day DICE East Event

The demand for data centers in the commercial real estate space has been showing no signs of slowing down. According to McKinsey, data center demand is expected to increase by 10% annually for the next seven years.

Despite the industry’s strong performance, there have been questions about how data centers can maintain top-quality operations while reducing their impact on the environment. In September 2022, the International Energy Agency found that data centers account for about 1% of the greenhouse gas output that is connected to energy use. Additionally, supply chain challenges have resulted in a need for faster delivery of materials and more qualified workers than the industry currently has.

CRE owners, developers and investors can embrace opportunities to learn more about what is in store for the data center industry at Bisnow’s DICE East event on May 24 and May 25. The two-day event at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in McLean, Virginia, will bring together industry experts to dive into topics such as how to improve sustainability within operations, strategies for engaging workers to stay for the long term and which cutting-edge technologies are driving data centers today. Register here.

Mukul Anand is the global director of business development at Johnson Controls and a speaker on the DICE East panel From Hyperscale To On Premise To Colocation Data Centers. He spoke with Bisnow about his focus on the initiatives companies can take to lower their carbon footprints and how Johnson Controls helps its clients meet their decarbonization goals.

“Many of our current projects are focused on understanding the efficiency, sustainability and decarbonization needs of data center customers,” he said. “We’re also working to ensure that our new-product introduction teams are developing products that are aligned with the goal of making data centers more sustainable. We have recently launched chillers that need a smaller electrical infrastructure to support them and still have the best sound characteristics in the industry.” 

The event will also feature a panel called The Great PR Problem, which will cover how data centers can partner with their communities to expand their workforce. Mayank Kapur, director of business development for IT and cybersecurity at Prince George’s County Economic Development Corp. and one of the panel’s speakers, told Bisnow that PGCEDC is involved in a variety of programs and initiatives that help with facilitating opportunities in technology and cybersecurity for Prince George’s County residents.

“I think one of the ways to help grow talent in the area is to show students that there are not only jobs available but also local resources to help them prepare for the positions,” Kapur said. “Reaching out to different programs we have in Prince George’s County can help local stakeholders get a first look into the potential the county has to offer.” 

Click here to register for the event and hear from dozens of other leaders in the data center industry, including Rima Oueid, senior commercialization executive at the Department of Energy; Todd Thurlow, director of distributed energy systems at Siemens; and Sarah El-Taher, director at Chekhub.

The event includes an afternoon keynote by Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears as well as two additional keynotes: State Of The Northern Virginia Market and It’s Not A Data Center, But A Network Of Data.

Additional panels include:

- Optimizing Design And Construction: The Best Strategies Behind Project Design To Delivery For Today’s Demands And Technologies

- From Hyperscale To On Premise To Colocation Data Centers: Near-Term Strategies To Drive Efficiency And Decarbonization

- The Transition to Web 3.0: What Does It Look Like And What Do We Need To Do Now?

- Identifying The Right Energy Strategy And Alternatives: What Is The Most Feasible Path Forward?

Click here to view the event details as well as additional panels. 

Register here to connect with owners, developers and investors in the data center sector and learn more about how data centers have been adjusting to supply chain and sustainability challenges and what the future holds for the sector.